By Ilsa Minor

Daily Press

ESCANABA — The Escanaba Planning Commission reviewed two permits for marijuana businesses on Ludington Street last week, with public outcry over the perceived impacts of marijuana businesses continuing to dominate the discussion.

Public hearings were held Thursday on proposals from Joyology, which intends to locate in the former FrameCrafters building at 2430 Ludington St., and Light UP 906, which seeks to locate at 1005 Ludington St., next to Northern Screen Printing. However, most of the public comment on both proposals was not specific to either plan, instead revolving the opinions of a core group of vocal anti-marijuana residents that have frequented both planning commission and city council meetings.

“Because we want to keep the children away and not make it to look too inviting for the young people, it might seem like an odd request, but well can we have barbed wire and large fences around it? It sounds facetious, but on the other hand, it kind of gets to the point of protecting the young people,” resident Bonnie Hakkola said during the public hearing for Joyology, referencing statements made by Zoning Administrator Tyler Anthony about the need to clean up discrepancies in building material and facade standards between the city’s marijuana rules and the rest of the zoning ordinance.

Others ignored the site plans and written zoning requirements all together, pointing to what they perceived as social ills inherent to legalized marijuana.

“Build it, people will come. Well, I got news for you. You want to open a ‘Field of Dreams,’ open it with marijuana because kids will find it. You’ll get your ‘Field of Dreams.’ It’ll be your field of nightmares,” said resident Keith Whitman.

Craig Worpel, who owns 1007 Ludington St. with his wife, did have specific concerns about the Light UP 906 project, which would be opening next door to his own building.

“The stigma of a drug business next door is going to make people look at that part of town differently,” said Worephl, who raised concerns about crime, smell, and the potential loss of renters.

While speaking on his proposed business at 1005 Ludington St., Jared Bender addressed many of the comments critical of legal marijuana.

“Unbeknownst to a lot of you, there are a lot of people who own very large companies in Escanaba that use cannabis that are completely professional, so the people that you’re talking about have made bad life choices and that’s led them to do whatever drugs they are on. But that’s not a reflection of me, that’s not a reflection of the business that I want to operate,” he said.

Bender’s proposal did not include any significant changes to the outside of his building, with the major changes being primarily inside to add features common to retail marijuana establishments, such as a dedicated vestibule for identification checks, sales areas, secure storage and a vault. The proposal, however, did take some unique approaches to some of the ordinance’s requirements, such as keeping trash cans inside the building to avoid the need for screening.

One feature that was a major topic of discussion was a planned “temporary” loading and unloading area behind the building. While a permanent loading and unloading area can be used at any time and must be screened from view per the city’s zoning ordinance, a temporary loading and unloading area can be noted with signage and may only be used during certain hours.

“I have to admit, he kind of got me on the temporary loading area thing. I kind of appreciate that. I don’t know whose idea that was, but it’s a good — it’s appropriate,” said Anthony.

By ordinance, marijuana product loading and unloading may only take place during certain hours, regardless of whether or not the loading area is permanent. A site plan for a different marijuana business on Ludington Street was conditionally approved with one of the conditions being the creation of a screen around the loading and unloading area.

A motion was put forward to approve the site plan for the project on the condition that Bender put up additional signage indicating the entrance was at the front of the building and there was no parking in the back to keep people away from the loading zone. Both the vote on the site plan approval and the vote on the approval of a special use permit for the business were split 3-1, with Commissioner David Mason dissenting.

The split vote raised new questions for the city, as the planning commission had recently lost two members that resigned and an additional member was absent from Thursday’s meeting. The planning commission bylaws specify that “the majority of those present or the majority of a quorum, whichever is greater, shall be necessary to approve motions.” The city has reached out to its attorney for a clarification, as the board believed the motion had failed, but the four members present were a quorum of the seven member board and the majority approved the motion.

The other site plan and permit reviewed Thursday was conditionally approved pending some modifications to the building and grounds. Specifically, the developers for Joyology must connect and widen sidewalks along the highway and North 26th Street.

In the initial plan, the sidewalks did not connect to allow for the developer to meet the greenspace requirements outlined in the ordinance. Given the small size of the lot, the planning commission allowed Joyology to include the boulevard — which is technically city-owned but is green space that Joyology must maintain — to be included in the green space calculations.

Joyology will also be required to install a false window, which will bring the building up to compliance with facade requirements but will prevent any marijuana product from being seen from outside the building.

The commission also revisited a planned marijuana development at the former Hudson’s Restaurant, which has become a battleground in the debate over marijuana because of its proximity to Hobby Lobby and the Delta Plaza Mall. The Fire Station, which is seeking to open a store in the old restaurant, was approved for the project on the condition that the business secured an entrance easement from the mall, as the property has no legal entrance of its own. The mall has indicated it is unwilling to grant the easement because Hobby Lobby has threatened to leave the mall if the project moves forward.

In an attempt to side-step the issue, The Fire Station is seeking a curb-cut to create a new entrance to the property. No actions were taken on the new proposed site plan for the project, because the developer intends to have engineering work done and traffic count information was not provided quickly enough to have the work done prior to Thursday.

The Fire Station project is expected to appear on the March planning commission agenda.